A tenant in South Manchester has been left 'devastated' after an energy supplier billed the six apartments as one unit. It meant residents in the six-flat-building in Whalley Range entitled to the UK government 'energy bill support scheme' (EBSS) are struggling to access the £400 entitlement due to their communal electricity supply.
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The energy bills support scheme was announced in February to provide reduced electricity bills over six months from October 2022 and March 2023 with a discount of £66.6 a month.
Current tenant Janet Campbell, 55, is on universal credit due to her mental health condition and has been unable to receive monthly vouchers to help support her with rising prices amid the cost of living crisis.
She said: "I haven't received any funding- the government scheme has overlooked our circumstance and prevented us from receiving a bill relief because we don't have a direct electricity account with the supplier.
"Many people need this support, it's been a frustrating and stressful experience. I suffer from anxiety and depression - an ongoing issue, and I'm sure many others are in the same position."
It comes as homes with a standard electricity supply in December will have received £66.6 x 3 of their monthly payment, while residents at Manley Road are 'unsure they they will ever get the support they are entitled to'.
The issue primarily affects tenants on a communal electricity supply, such as a large home converted into flats, who are mainly billed according to the amount read on a sub-meter by their landlord/management company. This is causing ongoing problems in redeeming voucher support for people on these pre payment meters.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) shared that the 'Energy Bill Support Alternative Funding' is set to provide the £400 support for households that do not have a domestic electricity contract and would otherwise miss out on the EBSS. The announcement for the further steps with the Alternative Funding will be delivered within weeks.
However Afzal Khan, Member of Parliament for Manchester Gorton has criticised the governments efforts to resolve the current issue given "they have had months to sort this out" and that they have "left thousands of tenants with submeters across the country in limbo".
Janet Campbell's landlord, Shantilal Patel, who has supported her throughout the process, said: "Regardless of the singular account those households including my tenant should be able to receive the bill relief they're entitled to - there should be a payment of 6 x £66.6 for each of the six apartments. It has caused ongoing problems for my tenant and I'm afraid more will be left vulnerable to this issue."
Janet said: "It's upsetting when I'm entitled to this support and continue to be left in the dark. It's not easy- I can't afford to buy my daughter a Christmas present, I've been picking up on recycling free gifts to find her something.
"In this situation you just exist, you can't be happy because your constantly living in worry."
Afzal Khan said in a statement: “At the height of Rishi Sunak’s cost-of-living crisis, the Tory Government has left thousands of tenants with submeters across the country in limbo. Those in Janet’s position have been left not knowing whether they will ever get the support they are entitled to.
“The energy support scheme was announced in February. The Tories have had months to sort this out, but even now they are saying that a resolution could be weeks away.
“I’ve written to the Business Secretary, Grant Shapps, to ask why his Department seems unable to get its act together and make sure that constituents like Janet get the support they need in these difficult times.”
Manchester Evening News contacted the department of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for comment.
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